excellence

I heard of a sermon recently that used this illustration from Monty Python.  I was 18 when the movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail came out.  There is one scene that I often think about.  Late in the movie the knights come to a bridge and they must answer five, no three questions.   One of the questions is, “what is your quest?”

Just for a laugh, here is the clip:
click for video of bridge of death

In this life, as individuals and as a church we must answer the questions, what is our quest?  Why are we here?  How will we go about doing what we do?

Some describe their mission as “connecting people to Jesus,” some as “loving god and others,” and some as teaching people that “they matter to God and to us.”  However we describe what we are doing, the how of it all is very important.

Will our church be an afterthought in our lives?  Will our church be the parsley on the plate of our lives?  Or will we approach every aspect of our church with an attention to excellence.  I believe that if a church is on the right track, we will always be out of our comfort zone, trying to make it better, every single aspect of it.

Excellence demands that we call things to account.   That you push on toward a better tomorrow.  Excellence stays up with the times.  Excellence challenges the status quo.  Excellence pushes for the mission.  Those things are never easy, but healthy organizations must keep thinking about and focusing on excellence.

It is true of our lives as well.  If we would live excellently, we must keep trying to improve ourselves.

Marked improvement rarely happens overnight.  It is something that comes in time and with persistent effort.  Pat Riley said,  "excellence is the gradual result of constantly striving to do better." 

That is a pretty good explanation of how I think healthy people go about trying to do what they do.  You just get up every day and do your very best.  You keep after a thing.  You try to fix the things that are broken.  And guess what, little by little, the ship is turned and we get headed in the right direction.

Excellence is the gradual result of constantly striving to do better.

It's a beautiful day in God's world be sure to see the good.

Send replies to jsbrink57@gmail.com

- - - - - - - - -

I am leading some trips this year and next. If you are interested in reading about them, or joining in, the links are below.....4 Night cruise from Port Canaveral to Key West and Havana, Cuba.

August 13-17, 2018

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/cc18081318h17768#eotours

Wesley's Ireland with optional London Extension

October 8-17, 2018

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/wesley-in-ireland-2018-with-rev-jeff-brinkman#.WqHrI7puLIU

Holy Land Tour - includes my favorite spots

with optional Jerusalem extension

March 4-13, 2019

http://www.eo.travelwithus.com/tours/hl19030419g17768#.Wt84h7lRHcs